Although France typically refers to the Western European Republic, its territory also includes several small pieces of land scattered around the globe. Specifically, “Overseas France” can mean a list of regions, departments, collectives (including one sui generis collectivity), and territories that are remains from the French colonial empire.By some estimates, nearly 3 million people live on French overseas land. Naturally, these territories have their own airlines and are also served by international carriers, such as French flag carrier Air France. Let’s take a deep dive into these territories and which airlines serve them.
Corsica
While some will consider this island situated south-east of France and west of Italy as part of the French mainland, there is a unique, local airline operating at all of its four airports, and as a result, it makes the list. Throughout the year, you can find seasonal services from many European carriers, including but not limited to British Airways, easyJet, Eurowings, Lufthansa, and SWISS. But all year round, Air France provides service from Paris-Orly to each airport on the island and other French cities seasonally.
However, the “Island of Beauty” does have a locally based airline, Air Corsica. In addition to year-round service from Corsica to cities like Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, and Toulouse, they offer seasonal routes to destinations in Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, and other French cities. The carrier is the leading presence at Corsica’s main airport—Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport—with Spanish low-cost airline Volotea in a distant second.
Credit:Luke Bodell & Simple Flying Staffhttps://simpleflying.com/french-overseas-territories-main-airlines-guide/
